How Long Should a Resume Be? | Tips & Examples

In most cases, the ideal resume length is 1–2 pages. The most common resume format includes four main sections—a professional summary, technical skills, work history, and education.

The purpose of a resume is to help recruiters quickly see your most relevant skills and achievements, so only include jobs and skills on your resume that directly relate to the job posting. A concise resume length improves your chances of receiving an interview because it shows your ability to focus on relevant details.

To learn more about how long a resume should be, follow the tips and examples below. QuillBot’s free Paraphraser Android App or Paraphraser iOS App can also help you summarize your skills and experiences in a concise and effective manner.

Factors that affect resume length

The right resume length depends on your years of experience and the type of industry where you’re applying.

Years of relevant experience

The amount of relevant experience affects resume length because your work history is the longest section of a resume. Each relevant job needs several lines on the page:

• A heading with the job title, company, location, and dates
• A 1–2 line overview of the role (using the same keywords that the job posting uses for the prospective role)
• Three to seven bullet points with the main achievements that demonstrate your success with the required skills

Job requirements

The job requirements can also impact the number of bullet points you should include for each previous job and therefore the right resume length. 

• If the job posting has 10 or more requirements, opt for five to seven bullet points per relevant job.
• If the job posting has fewer than 10 requirements, you probably only need three to five bullet points for each job (depending on the number of relevant jobs your resume will include)

The bullet points should use the same action verbs and other keywords from the job posting.

1-page resume

When you’re concerned about how long a resume should be, opt for one full page in these situations:

• You are starting your career or have five or less years of experience.
• You are switching careers and therefore don’t have a lot of relevant experience yet.
• The job posting has a short list of focused requirements.
• Professionals in your field tend to value brevity.

2-page resume

Use a 2-page resume (or a resume length between one and two pages) in these situations:

• You have more than five years of experience and/or several previous jobs that are directly related to the prospective role.
• The job posting has a long list and/or wide range of detailed requirements.
• Professionals in your field value creativity and details over brevity.

Tips for the ideal resume length

The following tips can help you achieve a concise and impactful one- or two-page resume.

Focus on relevant experience

The experience that you describe on your resume should be relevant to the job that you’re applying for. In the work experience section of your resume, list only jobs in the same industry or for similar roles. How far back your resume should go depends on the job posting, but in general, you should not go back further than 10 years.

Similarly, if you have volunteer or educational experiences that are directly related to the job opening, do include these.

Describe each role in 3–7 bullet points

Another way to achieve a concise resume length is by limiting each job description to 3–7 bullet points. Start by making a list of the job requirements that you have demonstrated at your various jobs through measurable achievements.

Then, for each job description (after a line that describes the overall role), list the achievements that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for. Your goal is to demonstrate each requirement from the job posting at least once across the various jobs in your work history section.

If you have many relevant jobs to include on the resume, you might opt for a shorter list for each job. If you have fewer jobs to include (with more time at each job), the list for each job could be up to seven bullet points. To format each role on your resume, you can use this template.

Limit each bullet point to 2 lines

For each bullet point that covers an achievement from a previous job, aim for a maximum of two lines. Start with a past-tense verb for each past achievement (e.g., “implemented” or “enhanced”) and describe the outcome or impact (e.g., “Spearheaded training simulation updates that reduced training costs by 25%”).

Optimize for keywords

Using keywords from the job posting will also help you achieve the right resume length. When you focus on relevant keywords and omit details that the posting doesn’t include, you can improve your chances for an interview.

For example, if the job posting uses names of specific tools—such as Jira, Salesforce, or WordPress—follow suit on your resume rather than using longer, generic versions (e.g., “help ticket management tools”).

In most cases, the hiring process begins with AI-based resume filtering software that ranks each application according to how often a resume includes certain keywords.

Frequently asked questions about resume length

How long should a resume summary be?

A resume summary (aka a professional summary) should be a few lines at the top of the resume just below your name and contact information.

In 3–5 lines or a few phrases, summarize the following:

• Your professional role and years of experience (e.g. “Resourceful and results-driven retail manager with over 5 years of experience exceeding revenue goals and mentoring sales associates”)
• The main accomplishments or strengths that are relevant to the job you’re applying for (e.g., “Spearheaded recruiting and training programs that increased employee retention by 50%”)

This section used to be called an objective, but a resume summary is the current standard practice.

When you’re revising a resume to achieve the ideal resume length of 1–2 pages, QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you with concise word choices.

Should a resume be one page?

A resume can be one page when you’re in the beginning or early stages of your career. A resume can also be up to two pages when you have a lot of experience (e.g., 5 or more years) or when the role requires a wide range of projects, achievements, and/or skills.

If the job posting is asking for a lot of specific information, you may need to send a CV instead. One of the main differences between a CV and resume is the length.

Have you tried QuillBot’s free Paraphraser for your career writing materials? It can help you achieve a concise resume length.

What’s a synonym for strong you can use on a resume?

Some synonyms for strong that you can use on a resume are:

• Effective
• Competent
• Capable
• Proficient
• Skilled
• Proven

For example, instead of “strong communicator,” you could say “effective communicator.”

QuillBot’s Paraphraser can help you find even more synonyms for “strong” to use on your resume.

Should your cover letter match your resume?

Your cover letter should match your resume format stylistically, but their content should not match.

Fonts, colors, and any design elements should match in both documents. Likewise, if you write a CV, your cover letter and CV should match in terms of style.

On the other hand, they should have complementary—not matching—content. Your resume outlines your qualifications and experience. The purpose of a cover letter is to showcase your personality and tailor your application to the specific job.

Both your cover letter and resume must be free of grammar and spelling errors, so run a QuillBot grammar check before sending.